I gave up untying knots...

A couple of years ago I decided to try to give up untying knots. So I did some research with the intention of finding a set of knots that met the following criteria:

Easy to tie.

Secure.

Easy to untie (This was most important).

After trying various things this is what I came up with.

A double overhand stopper knot... which is impossible to untie but I'm never going to untie it anyway. I like one on each end of my cords because it helps when coiling them up. The knot lets you feel the end of the line without it slipping through your fingers.

For tying onto things, I really like the buntline hitch which you can tie slippery. This is a great knot because it allows you to tie onto something that you can't reach... and untie it as well. I first saw this used at a circus and I was quite impressed that a rope could be tied to something meters above the persons head, without them needing to climb up to it. This knot is very secure and easy to tie.

After that comes a variety of the truckers hitch which can be used to get some good tension. I could not find a web page describing the way I tie it, but the closest thing I found was a bell-ringers knot. That's similar but my version which has two turns around the bight. This knot always comes apart easily, even after taking a very heavy load. This link describes it.

After that, I finish off with a simple half hitch - tied slippery of course.

The knot's I've described, I use a couple of times a week, to hang my clothes lines.I have hooks in my house and fence posts and I tie in which ever position is best for the sun. It only takes a short time to set up. Taking down is done with a sharp tug on each end of the lines. I never need to struggle to untie it.

On one of the lines I use, the length is such that when I've tied the "bell ringers knot", the stopper knot will jam against the loop of the "bell ringers knot" allowing the line to sag while I hang a few items on it. I can then just grab the stopper knot and pull it to tension the line... quite handy.

This system of knots can be used for tying trailers, ridge lines for fly's or a heap of different things.

I'd encourage you to try what I did... decide to give up untying knots... the investment in the learning is well worth it!